1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image recording method.
2. Related Art
In the related art, an ink jet recording method in which minute ink droplets from nozzles of a recording head in an ink jet recording apparatus are ejected to record an image on a recording medium is known. In recent years, the ink jet recording method has become to be used not only for recording an image to a recording medium excellent in absorbability of an ink (for example, a plain paper or the like), but also for recording an image to an ink low-absorbing recording medium (for example, an art paper, a coat paper, or the like) or an ink non-absorbing recording medium (for example, a plastic film or the like). For an ink composition used for recording an image to such an ink low-absorbing or non-absorbing recording medium, an aqueous ink composition using water as a base is attracting attention, from the viewpoint of a global environment, safety, or the like.
However, the aqueous ink composition is easily repelled on the ink low-absorbing or non-absorbing recording medium in comparison with a non-aqueous ink composition using an organic solvent as base. Therefore, there are some cases where it is difficult to obtain a good image since an image can not formed or color unevenness of a recorded image or the like occurs.
As a method for solving such problems, in JP-A-2013-6308, the fact that before an image is formed on a sheet (recording medium) in an image forming apparatus such as an ink jet recording apparatus, a surface modification of the recording medium by using a corona treatment apparatus or a plasma treatment apparatus is carried out is disclosed. In addition, in JP-A-2013-146925, the fact that the ink composition ejected from an ink jet recording head is adhered on a recording surface including polyolefin which is subjected to a corona treatment or a plasma treatment to record an image is disclosed. Thereby, it is possible to improve wet spreading properties or fixing properties of the ink composition adhered on the recording surface.
In addition, as a method of solving the above-described problem by using a method other than a corona treatment or a plasma treatment, in JP-A-2010-23265 or JP-A-2010-23266, the fact that a high-quality recording image free from bleeding, color bleed, printing unevenness, or the like, and excellent in abrasion resistance can be recorded by reacting a reaction liquid containing a multivalent metal salt or the like with the aqueous (water-based) ink composition on a water low-absorbing recording medium is disclosed.
However, even if the surface treatment of the recording medium is carried out by using a corona treatment or the like as described in JP-A-2013-6308 or JPA-2013-146925 described above, there are some cases where it is difficult to record the image with a sufficient image quality such that wetting spread (line width) or the abrasion resistance of the image recorded using the ink composition is insufficient, printing unevenness occurs, or the like.
In addition, in a case where the image is recorded using the ink composition after the reaction liquid as described in JP-A-2010-23265 or JP-A-2010-23266 described above is applied onto the recording medium, there are some cases where it is difficult to record the image with a sufficient image quality such that wetting spread (line width) or the abrasion resistance of the image is insufficient, printing unevenness occurs, or the like since the reaction liquid itself is repelled on the recording medium.